BookishFirst

Unmasked

Feb 16 2022 – 12:46 PM

Evocative Memoir from Retired Detective

I should start by saying that I am a huge fan of hero detective Paul Holes (I know him from true...

Kiss & Tell

Feb 07 2022 – 08:14 PM

Queer Boy Band Member Deals with Love & Loss

This realistic contemporary romance about Hunter, a member of a Canadian pop band called Kiss &...

The Lost Dreamer

Feb 07 2022 – 06:30 PM

An Ancient Mystical Kingdom at a Crossroads

The first chapter of Lizz Huerta's mythology-inspired fantasy "The Lost Dreamer" is a richly...

I Must Betray You

Dec 07 2021 – 04:17 PM

Teen Trusts No One in 1989 Communist Romania

"I Must Betray You" takes place in 1980s Romania and follows a teen named Cristian, who is...

Ace of Spades

May 10 2021 – 02:34 PM

Cyberbullying Mystery at Elite Private School

Whether you feel like the "thriller set at a ruthlessly competitive private school" trope is...

The Passing Playbook

May 03 2021 – 10:17 AM

For Fans of Becky Albertalli & Meredith Russo ...

The first two chapters of Isaac Fitzsimons's contemporary realistic novel "The Passing Playbook"...

The Taking of Jake Livingston

Mar 15 2021 – 11:34 AM

Horror Debut Equal Parts "The Sixth Sense" & "The Hate U Give"

As a huge fan of YA horror, I'm psyched to see the genre expanding beyond mostly white authors...

Pretty Boys

Mar 04 2021 – 11:33 AM

A Fun Guide to Makeup/Grooming Tips ... and History!

I'm really looking forward to reading all of David Yi's book "Pretty Boys" after reading the...

Our Last Echoes

Feb 12 2021 – 02:58 PM

A Supernatural Mystery Set on an Alaskan Island

The first pages of Kate Alice Marshall's novel "Our Last Echoes" remind me of several other books...

We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire

Jan 07 2021 – 03:10 PM

Fierce Fiction Inspired by Chanel Miller's "Know My Name"

Joy McCullough has been following in Laurie Halse Anderson's footsteps as a feminist force to be...

What Big Teeth

Jan 07 2021 – 11:10 AM

For Fans of Rory Power's "Wilder Girls"

"What Big Teeth" by Rose Szabo is a highly descriptive and dreamily dark tale about a family of...

The Electric Kingdom

Nov 11 2020 – 10:56 AM

Rick Yancey's "The 5th Wave" meets A. S. King's "Dig."

There is no doubt that David Arnold is one of the most interesting contemporary YA writers out...

Super Fake Love Song

Oct 07 2020 – 04:39 PM

Love the premise! Can't wait to read!

I loved David Yoon's debut, Frankly in Love, and I have a feeling that I am going to love this...

Skyhunter

Sep 04 2020 – 02:32 PM

Excellent Marie Lu world-building with major "Skyward" vibes

Marie Lu is a master of complex, diverse, action-packed, character-driven dystopian/sci-fi YA...

Now That I've Found You

Sep 04 2020 – 01:05 PM

Unique realistic contemporary story might be difficult to relate to ...

Teens with dreams of stardom might immediately attach themselves to 18-year-old protagonist Evie...

The Extraordinaries

Feb 12 2020 – 03:19 PM

Genre-mashing queer superhero comedy!

This story starts with an excerpt of teen protagonist Nick's fanfiction, authored about a real...

Woven in Moonlight

Dec 12 2019 – 11:22 AM

Hispanic culture interwoven into royal fantasy

Author Isabel Ibanez takes the classic but always intriguing plot line of decoy royalty and makes...

The Vanishing Deep

Dec 09 2019 – 08:38 PM

Intriguing premise ... Promising first chapters

I was surprised to find that The Vanishing Deep actually has a dystopian setting - some mash-up...

Sparrow

Nov 12 2019 – 10:53 AM

An important read for teens ...

Sparrow sounds like the kind of book that every library needs. It is difficult to speak to teens...

The Queen's Assassin

Nov 12 2019 – 10:42 AM

For fans of "Red Queen" and "An Ember in the Ashes" ...

Epic fantasies are currently very popular in the YA collection at my public library, and, as the...

First Impressions of lizzyh